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Circle of Protection for a Moral Budget

A pledge by church leaders from diverse theological and political beliefs who have come together to form a Circle of Protection around programs that serve the most vulnerable in our nation and around the world.

Partners: We want to thank all those who participated in the fast, our partners, members of Congress, and the over 30,000 participants around the country. We pray the influence of the fast and the conversations had will continue to help us prioritize our lives and budgets differently.

Tuesday, April 19

Prayers: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Speak up with fairness and justice, and defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9, NIV).

Press: Jim Wallis spoke with Tavis Smiley about the Hunger Fast and a moral budget.

Partners: We continue to lift up in prayer all our partners fasting, specifically our members of Congress, the over 30,000 participants around the country, and Rev. Jim Wallis and Ambassador Tony Hall who are on day 23 of their Hunger Fast.

Friday, April 15

Prayers: Dear Lord, we pray for our Congressional leaders. May they be motivated by a commitment to those most in need. Allow them to lead in a way that seeks the common good for all. Amen.

Politics: Yesterday, Jim Wallis was on Democracy Now! as part of a roundtable assessing Obama's budget plan and the state of the U.S. economy. (Part 1) (Part 2) Let your members of Congress know you are serious about this budget.

Partners: A continued thank you to all those participating in the fast including Ambassador Tony Hall, Moby, and the more than 30,000 participants across the country.

Wednesday, April 13

Prayers: We persist in our prayers for the budget negotiations and for the leaders involved. This morning Jim Wallis met with the House members of the Out of Poverty Caucus, founded by Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-9). We pray that Jim, Sojourners, and our extended community will continue to be a voice for the most vulnerable.

Politics: The House will have a final vote on the fiscal year 2011 budget compromise today. This is expected to pass despite heavy cuts to programs and services to those most in need. Make sure to contact your members of Congress today telling them you want a moral budget.

Press: Musician and artist Moby has joined the Hunger Fast for a Moral Budget and lifted up the voices of many who are fasting. Check out his video announcement produced by the Hunger Fast, Moby, and our partner MoveOn.org. The Hunger Fast continues to receive coverage in the media despite the budget compromise. The Hill recently posted an article highlighting the members of Congress who are still participating.

Prayers: We continue our prayers for the budget negotiations and for the leaders involved in them. Do you have any prayers or personal stories from your time of fasting? How will you be affected by Congress' budget compromise? You can email your responses to hungerfast@sojo.net.

Politics: Want to know the breakdown of the cuts from the final FY2011 Continuing Resolution? A summary of the cuts provided by the House Appropriations Committee is available here.

Press: In response to the budget compromise reached on Friday, Rev. Jim Wallis released the following statement: "The government didn't shut down, but the budget crisis has not been averted. This compromise represents the interests of all those who make big campaign contributions, but betrays the poor and vulnerable. Our endless military spending has gotten another free pass, while those who can least afford it are getting cut. This compromise has only strengthened my resolve to continue fasting, and we call for any person of faith or conscience to keep joining the fast and spreading the word."

Partners: Rev. Jim Wallis and Ambassador Tony Hall are now on their 15th day without food. Since then, over 36,000 activists have joined, 30 members of Congress, and the heads of more than 40 organizations.

Monday, April 11

Prayers: We pray and fast alongside the 14 members of Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan who will be fasting over the next two weeks until Easter. As our members of Congress reached a compromise last week, we persist in our commitment of prayer and fasting for the most vulnerable who continue to be neglected in political discourse.

Press: Check out Jim Wallis' interview with CNN online. "We're saying a budget is a moral document. And whether at your kitchen table, as a family, or a church or a nation, you make choices. What's important, what's not?"

Partners: Confused by the language of the budget conversation? Check out our hunger fast for a moral budget partner Bread for the World's budget info page.

Friday, April 8

Prayers: We continue our prayers for the budget negotiations and for the leaders involved in them. Do you have any prayers or personal stories from your time of fasting? How will you be affected by a government shutdown? You can email your responses to hungerfast@sojo.net.

Prayers: Do you have any prayers or personal stories from your time of fasting? Why are you fasting? What has God been teaching you in this time? Pass your stories along to us so we can share in each other's reflections. You can email your responses to hungerfast@sojo.net.

Partners: More than 40 organizations and 30,000 individuals have joined the hunger fast. Read why some of these organizational leaders are participating: Ambassador Tony Hall from the Alliance to End Hunger and Justin Ruben the executive director of MoveOn.org.

Wednesday, April 6

Prayers:Dear Lord, during our second week of fasting, we pray for our Congressional leaders. May this budget battle continue no longer. May these legislators come to an understanding and produce a budget that supports the most vulnerable.

Politics: On Monday, Jim Wallis along with other Hunger Fast partners met with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to discuss our nation's budget and the appropriate response. (Read more about their meeting here.)

Partners:Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) explains why she is so grateful for the fast: "I'm also grateful that by coming together to fast, we have made progress in raising tough questions about how the federal budget reflects our country's priorities." (Read more here.)

Tuesday, April 5

ACT: Take action and call your legislators. Instead of cutting money from the biggest segments of our budget like the military, members of Congress are discussing "how much" to cut programs that directly impact the needy under the guise of deficit reduction. We are asking people of faith to make calls to Congress this week in support of a moral budget -- one that reflects our nation's best values and priorities.

PRAY: As people of faith, united in prayer we ask that the most vulnerable will be protected in our national budget decisions. God, may our members of Congress be encouraged to remember those most in need. Amen.

TWEET: "Woe to you legislators of infamous laws...who refuse justice to the unfortunate, who cheat the poor among my people." (Isaiah 10:1-2)

FAST: Read Jim Wallis on the 10 reasons why he is fasting for a moral budget:

"Because it is simply wrong -- morally and religiously -- to focus our budget cuts on the people who are already hurting, and make them hurt more. Programs that are effectively reducing poverty should not be cut. They should be made as effective as possible, but not cut."

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